SurfaceUnits
02-02-06, 12:51 AM
TMS might not host a race in 2007 because of schedule changes
04:16 AM CST on Tuesday, January 31, 2006
By TERRY BLOUNT and CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
The IRL has raced at Texas Motor Speedway since it opened in 1997, but the future of the series at the Fort Worth facility is uncertain after this year.
"I hope they'll be back," said TMS president Eddie Gossage. "I really do. I want them back. But we have to see a lot of things. One is will there be any effect on us by no longer being the race after the Indy 500."
The IRL will race at Watkins Glen, N.Y., one week after the Indianapolis 500, before racing the next weekend at TMS. Gossage also said he has concerns about Honda being the only engine manufacturer in the series.
"We don't know what impact that will have on competition," Gossage said. "It also changes the financial model we've had to work with in the past.
But don't take those things to be critical. I'm not taking shots. I'm simply saying we have to see how things play out. And I still say Indy cars at Texas Motor Speedway are the greatest racing you'll ever see."
Toyota, Chevy exit levels IRL field: The departure of Toyota and Chevrolet that leaves Honda as the only supplier for the IRL could be a break for Team Penske, which competed with the underpowered Toyota engine last season.
"It comes down to drivers, teams and luck," Penske driver Sam Hornish said.
Hornish's name surfaced last season as a possible replacement for Rusty Wallace in Penske's NASCAR operation.
"I'm pretty big on saying that I'm never going to say never," Hornish said. "I think there's a lot of opportunity over there, but there are still things I'd like to accomplish over here."
Foyt ready for move to Busch Series: A.J. Foyt IV, the grandson of perhaps the most famous American driver, was ready for a change.
Three years in the IRL had taught him what could go wrong. That prompted a switch from open-wheel racing to NASCAR's Busch Series with Evernham Motorsports. Owner Ray Evernham has played a key role in the careers of drivers such as Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. In three IRL seasons, Foyt never finished higher than ninth, and he suffered two jarring crashes last season.
"It didn't go too well," Foyt said. "We showed some light at some of the tracks, but most of the time it was dark for us."
04:16 AM CST on Tuesday, January 31, 2006
By TERRY BLOUNT and CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
The IRL has raced at Texas Motor Speedway since it opened in 1997, but the future of the series at the Fort Worth facility is uncertain after this year.
"I hope they'll be back," said TMS president Eddie Gossage. "I really do. I want them back. But we have to see a lot of things. One is will there be any effect on us by no longer being the race after the Indy 500."
The IRL will race at Watkins Glen, N.Y., one week after the Indianapolis 500, before racing the next weekend at TMS. Gossage also said he has concerns about Honda being the only engine manufacturer in the series.
"We don't know what impact that will have on competition," Gossage said. "It also changes the financial model we've had to work with in the past.
But don't take those things to be critical. I'm not taking shots. I'm simply saying we have to see how things play out. And I still say Indy cars at Texas Motor Speedway are the greatest racing you'll ever see."
Toyota, Chevy exit levels IRL field: The departure of Toyota and Chevrolet that leaves Honda as the only supplier for the IRL could be a break for Team Penske, which competed with the underpowered Toyota engine last season.
"It comes down to drivers, teams and luck," Penske driver Sam Hornish said.
Hornish's name surfaced last season as a possible replacement for Rusty Wallace in Penske's NASCAR operation.
"I'm pretty big on saying that I'm never going to say never," Hornish said. "I think there's a lot of opportunity over there, but there are still things I'd like to accomplish over here."
Foyt ready for move to Busch Series: A.J. Foyt IV, the grandson of perhaps the most famous American driver, was ready for a change.
Three years in the IRL had taught him what could go wrong. That prompted a switch from open-wheel racing to NASCAR's Busch Series with Evernham Motorsports. Owner Ray Evernham has played a key role in the careers of drivers such as Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. In three IRL seasons, Foyt never finished higher than ninth, and he suffered two jarring crashes last season.
"It didn't go too well," Foyt said. "We showed some light at some of the tracks, but most of the time it was dark for us."